Ties That Bind
by Emerald Lotus
Summary: Family comes in many forms, but it's when you're struggling and backed into a corner that you find out who is truly there to support you.


It's amazing how even the most spoiled people in the world who have everything they could ask for still have a need to pick on others. I see it every day I walk into this school, and I want to walk back out immediately. It's hard to watch people being bullied and I just want to jump right in and kick those undeserving fools in the face. But since I'm on a scholarship I have to watch my temper. That means no fights or I face expulsion. But right now I was watching the most extreme case of bullying I have ever seen, and I would rather lose my scholarship than let this continue.

The freshman that took the picture of me on my first day of school was backed into a corner in the gym, one of many classes we shared. His name was Dick Grayson, and he was the adopted son of the famous Bruce Wayne (the man responsible for my enrollment here) but he still faced the most ridicule from other kids in the school despite his status. I suppose they were all jealous because he didn't come from a wealthy background, but that didn't mean they could push him around.

I snuck up behind the group in case he needed my help. He was a small kid, I heard he was only thirteen, and the kids surrounding him were older and larger. They were all from the football team, and seemed to travel in a pack, and they all appeared to share the same stupid mind too. It was just perfect timing that the teacher was called out of the gym for some reason leaving the class unsupervised.

"Come on, circus freak! Show us some of those tricks of yours." One of them taunted and jabbed a finger in his shoulder.

Dick glared at him and smacked his hand away. "Leave me alone."

"What you afraid to perform in front of an audience?" Another tall jock asked. I recognized him from the football team. He was the linebacker and sucked at it.

Dick huffed, and then smirked. "Okay, I'll show you a trick. Try to keep up." He said and grabbed onto the guy in front of him. He jumped up and vaulted over his shoulders, kicking off his back into a front flip. Dick landed perfectly behind the group, and the guy he jumped on was launched into a face plant on the gym floor.

I smiled watching that, and could see the astonishment on the other kids faces in the gym. Dick was clever and moved well. He must have been very talented when he was in the circus. However the jocks didn't share in my sense of humor and were pissed at what Dick had just done.

"You think that's funny?" The one on the ground asked. "You'll pay for that!"

"You asked for a trick." Dick said, holding up his hands in defense.

"Get him!" They shouted and rushed at him.

Dick looked surprised and then looked behind him. He noticed the climbing ropes and grabbed onto one and started to go up it. He moved surprisingly quick as he climbed and the others waited at the bottom, like a pack of wolves that chased a raccoon up into a tree. All Dick needed was a mask.

A mask. Oh my god…I wanted to slap myself for not paying attention. I knew this kid better than I thought. He was Robin. Those moves, his size, and his dark hair it all fit even if he was dressed a bit preppy. I had to help him now, I mean I was planning on doing it before, but now everything was different. He was my friend, he always has my back.

I know he could get himself out of this, but he had to put up a ruse as being the son of a billionaire. He mentioned once how hard it was to keep his two identities separated because people were only supposed to see one side of him, and I see that now. He was supposed to be the quiet, shy son of Bruce Wayne when he was in public.

Dick was near the top of the rope and the four guys below him were shouting obscenities at him.

"Come down here, circus freak or we'll make you." They grabbed onto the rope and Dick's eyes widened as he realized what they were trying to do.

They started shaking it; the rope looked like a snake that slithered across the ground, its movements reached up and started to pull Dick along with it. I couldn't watch anymore, I hated to see him being picked on.

"Stop that you jerks!" They all looked at me, but the two with the rope only paused and continued to shake it. "He's going to fall if you keep that up."

"So what." The linebacker said. "He deserves it."

"How did you come to that conclusion? Your head must be filled with rocks if you think Dick has done anything to you." I said back getting up in his face.

"What do you care, blondie?" He sneered. Oh he was so going to get hit. "He's just some little orphan that got lucky. He doesn't fit in here, and you should walk away if you know what's good for you."

"Fine," I said throwing my hands up in the air. I turned away and I heard they linebacker grunt in triumph. "But you should know…" I turned on my heel and spun into a kick catching the linebacker square in the jaw. "I don't like being told what to do."

He landed on the floor shocked and the kick caught the attention of the other three guys as well. The one standing closest to me looked like he didn't know what to do now that the leader of the pack was sitting dazed on the floor, so he backed up.

"I suggest you two let go of that rope, unless you want to end up the same way." I said to them, but they didn't pay attention. They were determined to knock Dick down to the ground.

The rope was swinging so hard now that I could see him struggling to hold on. I rushed over to the idiots who were holding the rope and kicked one in the gut. He let go, and fell to his knees gasping. The other one didn't even get a chance to beg when I punched him in the face. He reeled backwards and finally released the rope.

The lack of weight on the rope caused it to spin as the rope was still caught in the momentum of the swing. I tried to stop it, but I was too late. As soon as I grabbed on to it I saw Dick's grip loosen and he began to fall.

"Dick!" I shouted involuntarily, and there were screams filling the gym. But he managed to catch onto the rope again, sliding down it roughly. I winced knowing that would hurt immensely without any gloves on.

He lowered himself to the ground slowly. I could see the pain on his face as he let go of the rope. He stared down at his hands blankly. They were red and raw from the rope burn and fibers had caught under his skin like splinters.

"What is going on in here?" the shout of the gym coach echoed off the walls. He was looking at me and Dick, along with the guys moaning on the ground.

"Come on," I whispered to Dick and put my arm around his shoulder. I walked over to the coach. "You're oh so stellar jocks were bullying Dick. He climbed the rope so that he wouldn't get hurt, and they tried to knock him down, and he almost fell. Now I'm going to take him to the nurse. If you need anything else you know where to find me."

I walked out of the gym with Dick by my side, and we walked to the nurse's office together. He was quiet and I realized why I never figured out that he was Robin. His personality when he had a mask on was completely different, or at least he muted it.

"Why did you help me?" he asked.

"Because I'm your friend."

"Oh…since when?" I could see a small smile forming on his lips at the question.

"I don't know…it's been a while now I guess. And you're right…I'm totally laughing about that picture you took on the first day. I bet Wally would love to see that one, my face must look ridiculous."

Dick smiled slightly knowing that I figured out his secret. "My hands really hurt." He said looking down at them. Small drops of blood started to surface where the skin was scraped.

"We'll get them bandaged."

"You've got a good spin-kick, you know. The look on Matt's face when you kicked him was hilarious."

"Thanks but I hope I don't lose my scholarship for that. My mom would kill me."

"Don't worry about that. I know someone that has some pretty strong influence with the school." Dick said.

"Right. Thanks. So do those guys bother you a lot?"

"Hm, yeah. Most of the time they just make jokes behind my back since the teachers are present. They've tried to beat me up a few times, but I always run away or lose them in a crowd. This was the first time that they actually cornered me. I don't need to attract more attention to myself so I don't fight, but I hate looking so defenseless."

"Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to do nothing at all."

He laughed. "Where'd you pull that one from, a fortune cookie?"

"Hey! I saved your butt don't' mock me."

"Yeah I know. Thanks, really it means more than you could know." He said and turned into the nurse's office as we arrived.

"Oh my goodness!" The nurse exclaimed upon seeing Dick's hands. "Run them under cold water for a moment. I'll get bandages and anti-septic." She said running off to the back closet.

"Are you afraid of heights?" I asked Dick when he was at the sink. I had noticed before that he looked scared up there.

"Uh no. I play on rooftops for fun, remember?"

"Okay fine. Silly question. I only asked because one, you worried me senseless up there, and two you looked a little frightened." I said looking down at him. He avoided my eyes and focused on the water running from the faucet, and running the water lightly over the wounds.

"I'm not afraid of heights." He murmured. "But I'm…afraid of falling."

"Oh… but why?" I asked. It didn't make sense to me. He seemed fine when we were on missions together. He looked at me with a mixed expression, it was sad but also like he was confused at my question. "Uh…sorry? Did I say something wrong?" I asked.

"No, no. I'm just not really used to people asking me that question."

I was about to ask him another question, but the nurse came back with her medical supplies. She made Dick sit down at a table and placed his hands under a desk light to see the scrapes better.

"Oh dear, how did this happen?" She asked picking up a pair of tweezers so she could remove the fibers.

"I slid down the rope in gym too fast." Dick answered.

"Well this could have been worse. You'll be okay once I wrap your hands, but you might have trouble holding things for a little while." The nurse explained.

She finished cleaning the wounds on Dick's hands, and started to wrap gauze around his palms. She place band-aids on the smaller cuts on his fingers. "Alright, you're all set. Classes are almost done for the day, why don't you head home for now. I can call your guardian and alert your teachers."

"No, it's fine. I'll just wait until I'm supposed to get picked up. Thank you for helping me." Dick said to the nurse and got up and walked toward the exit. I followed after him and waited for him to start the conversation again.

"Bruce isn't going to be too happy about this one."

"He's your guardian now, right? It must be…interesting to live with such a well known man."

"His fame doesn't really get to me. I've been surrounded by crowds for my entire life, but here in Gotham he tends to draw a different crowd. Most of them homicidal maniacs who are out for his money."

"That must be difficult. How long have you lived with him?" I asked and he gave me that look again. "Seriously what's with that look? I know who you are, but I don't know your life story. Is it strange that I'm curious? Do you want me to stop asking questions?"

"No, it's just my life's history can be found on the internet, and most newspapers from five years ago. I think there's even a copy in the library archives if you're interested. I guess I'm not used to people not knowing about me." He said.

"Well, I was a kid too. I didn't read the paper or watch the news. In fact I didn't really spend that much time in Gotham." I said. "So would you please tell me what I'm clearly missing?"

He sighed and leaned against a row of lockers. "A few years ago I didn't go to this school. I wasn't an honor student. I didn't have any secrets. I was just Dick Grayson the acrobat."

"Whoa, that explains a lot."

"I'm not done. If you want the full story you better listen." He said, looking at me.

"Sorry. Continue please."

"One day we were going out to perform. The circus was here in Gotham City, and it was threatened by a mob boss. And because of that my parents lost their lives and—"He paused for a moment. "The trapeze was sabotaged, and my parents fell to their death."

"Oh my god. I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked. I didn't want to hurt you." I said looking at the expression on his face.

"No, I'm okay." He said looking up at me. I gave him a skeptical look. "Really I am. It hurts sometimes, especially when those kids mock me and my background, but it helps knowing that I have friends like you and the team." He said and smiled, and pushed his back off the lockers.

I returned the smile and grabbed him around the shoulders pulling him into a sideways hug. "I'll always have your back. You're my friend, but you're also my family now." I told him.

"Thanks, Artemis. You know the same goes for you too. Now could you help me get my bag from my locker? I think I might have some trouble spinning the lock." He said holding up his hands.

"Sure." I said following after him.

I may not have known Dick for very long or even Robin for that matter, but he has gone out of his way to save my life. And I was going to do the same for him. I may have my secrets but so does everyone in our line of work. Its trust that matters most and I trust Dick completely. Today was a mistake, a mistimed movement on my part, but I won't let that happen again. We're a family, and no one will ever harm him or anyone I care about as long as I can help it.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm not quite sure where this one-shot came from. I was listening to the song Bully by Shinedown (great band) and it sort of started this. I've never really used Artemis before so I wanted to experiment with her character because I do like her. Hopefully I managed to get her down okay, and that this isn't too out of character. So please let me know what you think. Mainly what you think of the ending (does it feel to rushed?) Feed back is always appreciated. Thanks! :)<br>**


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